Associate Director, Major Research Initiatives
Associate Director, Major Research Initiatives
RESEARCH SERVICES
ALL ECU CAMPUSES IN WA
$163,788 PA (HEW 10)
FIXED TERM (5 YEARS), FULL-TIME
Edith Cowan University
Are you ready to belong to a dynamic community where courage, creativity, and optimism are essential elements of our DNA? At ECU we’re inspired by the incredible achievements of Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament and a lifelong champion of education. Empowered by her legacy, we’re united in our vision to lead the sector in educational experience and expand our impact through world-class research.
Embrace an opportunity to become part of something extraordinary.
About the Opportunity
We are excited to be offering this new and dynamic opportunity for a Research Partnerships leader. As Associate Director, Major Research Initiatives, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping and advancing the University’s most ambitious, high impact research partnerships. You will cultivate and steward strategic collaborations across industry, government, and the global research community, ensuring the University is positioned as a partner of choice for transformative, multidisciplinary initiatives. Drawing on your ability to influence, connect, and inspire, you will identify emerging opportunities, broker complex relationships, and guide teams in developing competitive, large scale proposals that address national and global challenges. This role offers the opportunity to drive institutional strategy, elevate research capability, and enable partnerships that deliver real world outcomes for Australia and beyond.
About you
Our ideal candidate will bring proven experience leading major research initiatives and securing large scale funding, along with the ability to build and sustain strategic partnerships across industry, government and the research sector. Strong communication and influencing skills are essential, as is the capacity to guide multidisciplinary teams in developing competitive, high impact proposals. The successful candidate will demonstrate sound judgement, excellent project management capability, and the leadership needed to foster collaboration and deliver outcomes in a fast paced environment.
Benefits of working at ECU
At ECU we’re committed to fostering a positive employment experience and believe this is fundamental to the success and satisfaction of our employees. Growth and development matter here, because we recognise people are at the centre of everything we do. Our thriving work culture is guided by the ECU values and complemented by a range of employee benefits; visit our website to read about flexible working arrangements, generous leave entitlements, our commitment to Wellbeing, exclusive corporate discounts and industry-leading superannuation.
Contact
Please contact Professor Margaret Jones, Director, Research Services on 08 6304 5401 or margaret.jones@ecu.edu.au for more information.
Application Process
Please upload an up-to-date resume detailing your experience and achievements, along with a brief covering letter of no more than 2 pages outlining your suitability for the role.
Advert Closure
Applications close Sunday, 5 July 2026 at 11:30pm AWST.
ECU reserves the right to close the advertisement before the stated closing date, and encourage applicants to submit their applications early.
PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CANDIDATES WHO HAVE THE RELEVANT WORKING RIGHTS TO FILL THIS POSITION.
ECU is a diverse and inclusive workplace with specific strategies and initiatives in place to address underrepresentation of specific groups. We strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age and faith. For more information on our commitment to equity and diversity, please visit our Inclusive Workplace website.
At ECU, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively encourage people with disability to apply to ECU. To discuss how we can support adjustment requirements, please contact the person listed above.
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